Written by Michelle CarpenterABC Catalyst filmed an MBSR class in Sydney in late 2018 and this screened in early Feb. I was impressed to see how many personal stories and how much of the research they were able to cpature and present in just 1 hour. The courage and determination of the participants was humbling, and I found myself cheering them on throughout the program.

It's still on Iview and worth watching if you've done an MBSR course before or if you are contemplating one. I won’t give away too many spoilers but will share 2 things that stood out for me.

Michelle Carpenter has been a school teacher & a leader for over 25 years. She is now teaching the HeadRest Mindfulness for Teachers course. She's written a few words on what draws her to mindfulness in her personal and working life.

I was drawn to meditation many years ago through an interest in Tibetan Buddhism, long before mindfulness hit the mainstream. I loved the teachings about how we could train our mind to become kinder, wiser and more emotionally balanced. Over the years I have continued to study, meditate and try to apply what I have learned from numerous wonderful teachers; sometimes successfully and sometimes not. If nothing else I am more accepting of my own humanity.

Have you ever wondered what an MBSR course is really liked? Contemplated booking in but not been certain about it?

ABC Catalyst have filmed an MBSR course. This screens next week on February 19. Our next course starts the week after. So watch and be inspired.

The course was filmed in late 2018. Fourteen people with diverse backgrounds and life experience bravely signed up to be filmed on their journey through the course. I met the Catalyst MBSR class in week 3 of their course when I filled in for their wonderful teacher Timothea Goddard and will be witting with them as they watch the screening.

How many times have you made a New Year resolution not to keep it? How often do you think about something you’d like to change and you don't change it or do and you don’t do it? How many times have you resolved to begin or maintain a regular meditation practice and not done it? Perhaps now is the time to book an MBSR course. This 8-week course allows you to start, get hesitant and start again. It offers the time, structure, teacher and group support needed to begin to develop a habit.One of the writers I love who speaks about making the changes you want to make is a sassy presenter, Kelly Mc Gonnigal. She’s practical, funny, full of ideas and very entertaining. She’s good to watch and good to read.

She has a useful book called ,”The willpower instinct”. She dispenses with words like procrastination and speaks about “willpower challenges”. Try this on! Say to yourself, “I’m a chronic procrastinator” and feel into the impact on you. Now say, “I’m facing a willpower challenge”. Which is the more empowering. For me, it feels like there is definitely more possibility of dealing with a will power challenge.

In 2018, I wrote a 5 week willpower course based on her work for procrastinating university students . The course combined her tips with procrastination, heaps of entertaining research antidotes, bits of procrastination brain science and a weekly short mindfulness practice.

For the last 2 years, I have run a February follow-up course to MBSR - a compassion course. In the first year, 15 people came along. Last year, six of those fifteen came back for the second time and some have said they will do it as a yearly event. So why do people come back?

There’s a Zen saying: “Kindness is the fruition of awareness, and awareness is the foundation of kindness.” The group consensus is that this course adds to MBSR which has an explicit focus on awareness, by bringing an equally explicit focus of kindness to the fore!

The Dutch founders of the course, Eric van der Brink and Frits Koster thought that MBSR/CT was too short for many people. They felt that this was particularly so for those of us who are either experts at being self-critical, perfectionistic, prone to being driven (striving), or uncomfortably familiar with shame. Almost everyone really!

Recent research adds credence to their decision with self-compassion practices being being increasingly documented as having many benefits. I'll speak more about these in future newsletters.

The varying styles of mindfulness​I’ve been practising mindfulness meditation for about 30 years. In that time, I’ve come across so many different, flavours, styles and nuances. Read on to discover 3 different approaches; the mindfulness marathon, the mindfulness jog and the mindfulness stroll.

Are you a ‘cure all’ sceptic?Do you feel scepticism or even a sense of outrage, when something is presented as a cure for everything? If so you are a bit like me. I’m not so good at taking things at face value. I like them to make sense.

I first dabbled with a mindfulness practice 30 years ago. I attended long meditation retreats and loved them but often switched off when it came to the “dharma talk”, the talk that engaged with the psychology

Author

Tienne Simons is a therapist and the founder of HeadRest Mindfulness training. She did her training in MBSR when she became convinced that the program was not only a useful add on to therapy for many but sometimes a more appropriate way to support people than counselling. She has had a mindfulness practice for about 30 years- well nearly!